1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to hospital and orthopedic patient pant garments capable of completely enclosing the patient's torso, front and rear, and wherein leg portions of the garment may be longitudinally partially or fully opened to provide access to the limb being treated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hospital gowns and garments usually consist of a front panel or apron which entirely covers the patient's front, and the gown utilizes ties to wrap the edges of the gown around the patient's body. Usually, conventional hospital gowns do not adequately cover the rear of the patient's torso often creating embarrassment to the patient, and yet, such gowns may not provide the desired degree of access to the patient's legs, such as those orthopedic patients whose legs have been operated upon by surgery, or otherwise treated.
Garments have been proposed for patients and the handicapped wherein the garments consist of a plurality of interconnected panels whereby the patient's body may be enclosed both front and rear, and in such prior devices apparatus is used to interconnect the garment panel portions to simplify the placing of the garment upon a patient. Examples of such garments are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,520,026; 4,258,440; and 4,651,353.
However, prior art garments having lateral access through releasable seams and edges have not been practical, and have not found popularity for hospital use. Such prior art garments are expensive, require large inventories to accommodate various sizes of patients, and may not be readily cleaned and maintained.